ArchivedLogs:Dwelling

Dwelling
Dramatis Personae B, Jack	2015-04-23 "Almost scared the invisible off me."
Location <XS> Art Room - FL2
Smells of paints and chalks and turpentine mingle freely in this room, well-used, well-stocked. Natural light flows in, plentiful through the large windows. The long counter-like tables are speckled with spots of color, and half finished projects often stand on easels or propped in corners. The many cupboards lining the walls are crammed full of art supplies. The bell has only just run for the end of school, classes just letting out for the day. There hasn't been an art class in here last period; the room is nearly deserted. Nearly. One small sharkpup who probably /should/ have been in a class of hir own somewhere -- but instead B is perched on a stool at the table, toolbox full of bones beside hir. In front of hir there's a half-finished sculpture done in bones. Sort of monstrous. Scorpion tail and heavy clawed limbs, a twisted inhuman torso rising out of it. One pincery arm holding a bow. B is dressed rather un-colourful compared to her usual. Heavy stompy black boots, black fishnets, silver and black skirt, a sleeveless black shirt studded in silver spikes around the sleeves and collar. Thick silvery cuffs circling her wrists. Jack may have been healed up enough to not be stuck in a bed but he's still not fit enough to be running around playing any sports. So rather than heading out, the invisible teen is stepping into the art room. In faded blue jeans, a t-shirt with a simple wave/ocean design on it, and a zip up hoodie he's left unzipped, Jack is moving a little more slowly than normal. He's got a book on oragami and a few sheets of paper under his arm as he steps into the room. He blinks a moment when he spots someone else in the room he thought was going to be empty but lifts his free hand to wave. "Hey." B's nose twitches, gills fluttering though hir eyes don't lift from hir work. "I don't get it. People really go around shooting /arrows/?" Hi, Jack. "Like more than once, even. This has happened to so many people. I mean, I know bow and arrow got pretty popular to use on /zombies/ but you guys aren't zombies." Jack winces slightly at them mention of the arrows and lets out a sigh. "Yeah, I heard this wasn't the first time," he says, moving deeper into the room to see what B is working on. He finds a place to sit before he speaks again. "I think it might be the same people. I mean...how many people go around using a bow and arrow to try to kill people," he says with a shrug. "Definitely not zombies. I'm more a ghost," Jack pauses a beat. "Wait, how many other people?" "I don't know. I know a lot of people who /use/ a bow and arrow -- /Shane/ and I are in the archery club even! But --" Now B does look up, eyes a little wider, "/we/ certainly didn't shoot you." Hir gills flutter faster. "This isn't the first time my dad's been shot like that," she admits quietly. "And two -- three of our other friends at least. That's just the ones I know about. Maybe it's just a fad with -- those kind of people." Hir brows furrow. "Arrows are probably harder to trace than bullets." Ze sets down the slim bone ze is holding, swivelling on hir stool to face Jack. "... are you doing okay?" "Yeah, I know you didn't shoot us," Jack replies, leaning a little on the table. There's a nod at the quiet admission, Jack looking down. "He told me while we were waiting for help," he says. "Insane, hateful bigots and their fad weapons," he mutters. His eyes follow the bone for a moment but he shakes it off. "I've been better and worse. Sore and feeling like crap but I'll live thanks to your dad and that teleporting guy." "That's Joshua. He's an X-Man." B bites down on hir lip, fidgeting in hir seat. "He's kind of -- like a. Multi-tool. Of helpfulness." Hir hand lifts, pressing to the side of hir neck to push down the fluttering gills there. There's a long hesitation before she speaks again -- and when she does her tone is reluctant. "... the news is saying my pa just. Attacked those. Women." "I should thank him again," Jack breathes out. "Almost scared the invisible off me," he admits with a little forced laugh. There's no amusement in it. "What? That's complete bullshit," Jack replies, tensing and then cringing a moment later. He presses a hand to the side he was shot on, unseen eyes squeezing closed a moment later. "No...the woman with the knife threw the first punch. After she was hassling him. And that...girl attacked me out of nowhere," he says. "I usually feel like I can trust the news to be total bull --" B hesitates, blushing, and amends to: "... nonsense when it comes to my pa. Or mutants in general. But they've -- I mean, they arrested him. They're charging him for --" She shrugs, eyes lowering. "It's nice to hear you say, though. That it's not true. I kind of maybe spent too much time online today. There was a lot of -- not -- nice. Things. People were saying." Her head tips slightly to one side as she looks back up. "{I'm sorry} that happened, though. That's never -- I mean, that's always. Rough. People can be so --" In lieu of finishing this sentence, just a /shudder/." "The way those women were talking," Jack pauses and shakes his head. "It was like they thought the cops weren't going to touch them no matter what they did," he says. "Could be they have someone with them in uniform. Or lied about the whole thing," he says. "We didn't exactly stick around to talk to the police," Jack doesn't really sound like he even wanted to talk to the cops. "I'll give a statement or something if it'll help," he adds. He understands even without the sentence being finished, nodding. "Yeah...not the first time this kind of thing has happened to me. I mean the arrow was new but..." he trails off, shaking his head. "They probably aren't wrong." B's nose wrinkles up, here. "The NYPD isn't /exactly/ known for being -- uh. Well." Hir gills are starting to flutter again. "There was that whole thing with the fight ring and -- a lot of them just have it in for us. I guess they --" She shrugs a shoulder. "I don't blame you for not sticking around. Feel like they're as likely to just attack you /too/." Hir head dips slightly. "Apologies. This probably isn't something you want to be dwelling on it's just kind of. On my mind a lot. Right now." "Like I told Kaine...Eric's the first cop I've ever met I didn't immediately dislike. They were the same in Jersey," Jack sighs. He falls silent a moment and relaxes a little. "I wasn't really...your dad pulled me away. The whole getting shot thing just...shocked me. Probably for the best, I don't think those...women would have stopped even with the cops coming," he says, tensing once more. "It's okay. I've been thinking about it all day...can't help dwelling," he admits. After a few moments, he looks back up at B. "Is your dad okay? I mean...cop stuff aside. He emailed me about a stalker and he was hurt worse than me..." "Eric?" For some reason this puts a small twitch in B's lips. "He's -- I don't know." Her eyes lift to the ceiling. "My pa's had worse. I don't know if that ever makes it /okay/, but --" Hir teeth press down against hir lower lip. "The jail thing just worries me. That's silly, right? I mean, once he was in this super secret maximum security prison because they accused him of making the zombie plague and killing a /million/ people. But that was just /ridiculous/. Accusing him of just punching just /one/ person, like, maybe they'll /actually/ send him to jail for that. Sometimes the world is just --" She pushes out a sharp huff of breath. "Frustrating." "Yeah, that guy in the mutant squad on the NYPD. I mean I wasn't sure about him but your other dad said he was okay and he wasn't an asshole so I guess he's alright," Jack remarks with a hald shrug. "He was here at the school the other day," the invisible one adds. "No, its not silly," he answers after some thought. "Considering how they treat us all...it's a worry. But if there's anything I can do to help...I'll talk to the cops or go to court or...I don't know. Anything," he says. "Just wish I could have been more help while it was all going on." "He's kind of dating my brother." B looks a little uncertain about this. "What was he doing at school? Tell me he wasn't just here to perv on people." Hir nose wrinkles up at this thought. Ze slides down off hir stool, packing up the unused bones into their case but not taking the case with hir. "My pa's lawyer will probably know better than I would. I'll ask her. And tell you. But -- thanks. I should -- find some food I kind of just holed up in here and forgot about lunch," she admits with a small blush. "I'm glad you're okay." "He is?" it's news to Jack. "He had a booth down in the hall. Was passing out pamphlets on how to avoid getting into trouble with the cops," he says. "Is he really that bad a perv?" Jack asks. He nods to the information, letting out a breath. "I'll be here at the school if I'm needed. Not going anywhere till these stitches are gone," he says. "Thanks, B. Was good talking with you again." This startles a small laugh out of B. "Oh. Oh gosh. Maybe my pa should have stopped by that booth." The smile on her face is -- only a /tiny/ bit amused. Only a tiny bit. She waggles her fingers in a small wave, ducking her head to slip out of the room.